BALTIMORE -- What we took away from watching the Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Baltimore Ravens 13-9 on Sunday:

1. The Steelers are the AFC's hottest team

Click here to find out more!
Not only did they clinch the AFC North and a first-round bye Sunday, they can clinch home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs by winning their final two games.

Now next week's game in Nashville between the 11-3 Steelers and the 12-2 Titans has even greater significance. The winner will likely be the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Clinching the top seed would be a tremendous accomplishment for the Steelers, who have the most difficult schedule in the NFL. "We found a way, hung together," said coach Mike Tomlin. "Hopefully that's the signature of Steeler football for '08."

The Steelers pulled this game out because they have a quarterback who has been down this road before, something the Ravens don't have. Pittsburgh's game-winning drive was a classic -- 92 yards in 12 plays, against the Ravens' ferocious defense. Ben Roethlisberger completed nine passes during the drive, capping it with by throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 43 seconds to play.

This is why Roethlisberger is a big-time quarterback, with one Super Bowl ring already, and a chance to earn more. No matter how well or poorly Roethlisberger plays, he remains capable of making game-wining plays when it matters the most. "Our quarterback wants to be the man to deliver," Tomlin said. "We have a bunch of guys in that huddle with him who want to deliver."

3. The Ravens need to regroup

Baltimore must be careful. This was an emotional loss, and the Ravens have not clinched a playoff spot. By losing their final two games against the Cowboys and the Jaguars, respectively, the Ravens would ruin everything they have worked for all season.

Are the Ravens are strong enough to shake off this loss, or will they crumble down the stretch? "We'll be fine," said Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. "We've got two games left to prove that we're a playoff team, and that's exactly what we're going to do."

4. The game-winning touchdown was controversial

Holmes' touchdown was reviewed in the replay booth. Officials determined that Holmes had both feet in the end zone, and that he had possession of the ball after it crossed the goal line. "When he gained control of the ball, the ball was breaking the plane, and he fell into the field of play," said referee Walt Coleman to a pool reporter after the game. Asked why the play was not ruled a touchdown on the field, Coleman said that head linesman Paul Weidner "felt like when the receiver gained possession, the ball was not breaking the plane of the goal line."

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh did not think Holmes scored. "It didn't look to me like the ball broke the plane," Harbaugh said. "That's what I saw."

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis just wanted to move on. "We lost the game," Lewis said. "That's the bottom line. There aren't any freaking excuses. A million times if you play it, of course he didn't get in, but they called it the way they called it. You've got to move on. That didn't win or lose the game for us."

5. The bigger the game, the better Hines Ward plays

Mark this game down (eight catches, 107 yards) as another statement game for Ward. After all the talk about having a bounty on Ward, the Ravens could not find anyone capable of covering him. It was another example of why Ward already has a Super Bowl MVP trophy in his possession.

6. The Steelers have the NFL's best defense

The stats say so, but forget about that. The Steelers prove it on the field. The Ravens could not get in the end zone against a defense that is strong against the pass, is strong against the run, and pressures quarterbacks relentlessly. "That's what we've been doing all year," said nose tackle Casey Hampton. "I don't think there's a team in the league that is more battle-tested than us."

Oviedo

12-15-2008, 10:54 AM

With the schedule we have played I can't see how anyone can doubt this team even though the anti-fans will always criticize them.

skyhawk

12-15-2008, 05:28 PM

:tt1

TallyStiller

12-15-2008, 05:50 PM

The schedule is the key. Many of our wins haven't been real pretty, and the offense doesn't rack up pinball machine numbers like they do in some other places, but we have played some tough opponents. Look at what Dallas did to the Giants this week, how the Pats shredded everybodsy they played before and after us, how San Diego is getting it going now, Baltimore's 7 - 1 in it's previous 8 :ratsuck ... this team has caught other teams while they are hot, and it will pay dividends in the postseason. Other teams will be looking to kick the intensity up come January. We've already kicked it up. Playoff intensity has come early, and this schedule has turned into a blessing in disguise - kind of the opposite of '04, when we had the gaudy regular season #'s and couldn't back it up in the playoffs. This year, we take it to Tampa. HERE WE GO, STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!! :tt2 :tt1 :tt2 :tt1

Iron Shiek

12-15-2008, 06:01 PM

The schedule is the key. Many of our wins haven't been real pretty, and the offense doesn't rack up pinball machine numbers like they do in some other places, but we have played some tough opponents. Look at what Dallas did to the Giants this week, how the Pats shredded everybodsy they played before and after us, how San Diego is getting it going now, Baltimore's 7 - 1 in it's previous 8 :ratsuck ... this team has caught other teams while they are hot, and it will pay dividends in the postseason. Other teams will be looking to kick the intensity up come January. We've already kicked it up. Playoff intensity has come early, and this schedule has turned into a blessing in disguise - kind of the opposite of '04, when we had the gaudy regular season #'s and couldn't back it up in the playoffs. This year, we take it to Tampa. HERE WE GO, STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!! :tt2 :tt1 :tt2 :tt1

Good points there. And I think that is what alot of us hoped would be happening when the schedule first came out. I remember numerous posts about how if we can survive and squeak into the playoffs at 9-7 or hopefully 10-6 that we'd have the advantage by playing all those tough teams. Battle tested if you will. Glad to see we are more than squeaking in. Lets hope the battle tested thing stand though...